Extra Special Bitter
Moylan's Brewery

 

 

 

this beer is a lot better than its ratings, at least it is on tap at the brewery anyway. a little haze to an otherwise pale caramel colored brew with a full inch of white head on it. its not quite as intense on the grain as some of the more traditional english ones, but i still get the maris otter malt and some crystal in here, its just a lot drier than is often customary. there are some nice grassy european hops in here too, fresher than they usually smell and taste in the style, and a flavorful and efficient ale yeast that has dried this out nicely. light on the tannins and fruity elements that sometimes creep into these, pretty basic all told, a little crackery and nutty property to the grain, a clean and just bitter enough hop taste, and a lively spirited mouthfeel that makes this feel both soft and easy drinking. i have always known these guys to be producers of big gnarly hop forward beers and strong ales, but i was impressed with some of their more mellow offerings during my brewery visit here last week. this is an all day kind of beer.

 

Serving: On tap (nitro) at the Hay Merchant, in an imperial pint glass (20 oz).

Appearance: Clear, copper amber with dense white nitro head. Good intricate lacing.

Smell: Light toasted malt, caramel and sweet dried fruit.

Taste: Mellow toasted malt, caramel sweetness, light citrus, bitterness and earthy minerality.

Mouthfeel: Relatively light body, but smooth, creamy feel.

Overall: Very drinkable - went well with a steak and sweet potato mash while at The Hay Merchant.

 

 

 

Pours a light copper color with a creamy white head . Good clarity and laces the glass expertly. Smells lightly malty, butterscotch and toffee. In the flavor, more buttery toffee, old timely bitters, not a ton of hops, in fact they are almost absent. Malt, toast, and a flat finish. Watery. Overall, the smooth creamy feel and appearance aren't enough here, weak.

 

Pours into an imperial nonic a dull orange infused lighter golden with a thin minimal head atop.Big fruity English malts in the nose and quite yeasty as well,not much hop presence at all to be had.Mild bready flavors and alot of fruitiness with some green apple notes standing out,it actually gets quite sweet,again not much hop presence.I see where Moylan's was going with this beer but it's to sweet and fruity even for the style in my opinion.

Bottle: big, solid 650mL brown bottle, old-school label.


Appearance: pours a medium amber-copper colour with a small head that quickly drops to a ring. Not much lacing.


Aroma: pine and grass hops with earth and some orchard fruits.


Taste: toasted biscuit malts on the palate, but predominantly those earthen qualities and some hops. There seems to be something a bit lacking for a Moylan's - I'd love to try this one straight from the tap.


Aftertaste: the hop bitterness hangs about for a time, not that much complexity however.


Mouth feel: light in body with a good dose of carbonation - very drinkable.


Overall: a very drinkable ESB, but nothing amazing. After reading Offa's review I'd love to try it from the cask tap, but as it stands it simply isn't worth the expense.

 

Pours a clear amber colored ale with a one finger beige head that stays well. A touch of lacing.

The aroma has a lot of wheat whiffs shining through. A dose of rye, fruit and malt.

The taste is pretty good. A big malt flavor with wheat and fruity esters on the swallow. Bittering hops allow for a lingering bitter aftertaste.

The mouthfeel was decent. Carbonation on the low side.

Overall this was okay for the style. Not my favorite style to begin with. Would love to try it on cask rather than a bottle though. I’m sure it would make for a whole new better drinking experience. And some fish and chips would help too!

 

 

 

Tasted on a nitro tap and I believe my score was 1.98. Now tasting it again 1 year and a week later, from the bottle.

Pours a crystal clear amber with a short lived white head. Decent looking.

Nose is sweet "light chocolate malt" and esters. A bit sweet in the nose but appealing and inviting.

Mouthfeel is lightly creamy, well balanced and nicely carbonated. It is fresh and also inviting.

Flavor profile from the bottle was far superior to my experience from a nitro tap. Flavors are light chocolate toast and malt. Well integrated and almost elegant in nature. Do not hit you over the head but extremely drinkable. Nice bitter back palate.

Finish is a nice bitter toast. I enjoyed this relatively light beer with an elegant and inviting toasty ESB character. Could be a bit more assertive for me but the nose, mouthfeel, flavors and finish are all around nice, appealing and drinkable.

On-tap at the brewery. Pint. Reviewed from notes.

A: Light amber colored liquid with a finger of dense cream colored foam on top. Great film retention; rings of thick lace.
S: Light straw nose, peaches, cracked grains and apricot come through on the nose.
T: Sweet and clean taste. More caramel than the nose suggested but there’s still a dominating cracked grain taste. Malt and light with hints of hoppy fruits and pineapple. Clean crackery malt.
M: Medium-light body, light and smooth carbonation, with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Lightly drying.
O: A very nice drinking beer that one could indulge in for hours.